Nest-box for henneries.



No. 649,149. Patented may 8, |900. w. P. wlLLETT.

NEST BOX FOR HENNEBIES.

(Applicltion led Dec. 2, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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NEST-BOX FOR HENNERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,149, dated May 8, 1900.

Application filed December 2, 1898. Serial No. 698,127. (No model.) Y

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE P. WILLI-LTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a 'certain new and Improved Nest-B0X for I-Ienneries, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a nest-box and applications thereto which are worked automatically by the hen on entering and leaving the nest; and the objects of my invention are to identify the hen which lays the egg and to identify the egg laid by the hen; second, to select from a pen of hens the hens which are laying, and, third, to keep a record in a flock or pen of hens of the number of eggs laid by each hen during any stated period. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the entire nest-box on line C D of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse vert-ical section on line A B of Fig. 1 looking to the right. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line A B of Fig. l looking to the left. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the complete nest-box.

Similar letters refer to similar parts thro ughout the several views.

The two sides V, top U, and bottom IV constitute the framework of the nest-box. Inside of one end of this framework is a tilting floor J, working a little to the inside of midway on two pivots at G and kept within certain tilting distance by two blocks of woodL and M, attached to one side of nest-box. On one side of the tilting iioor is an upright arm I, the vertical center line of which and the vertical center line of the pivots of the tilting floor coincide. This upright arm, when the floor is at a level and its outer end is resting on block M, stands vertical and supports a wooden lid II at a height sufficient to allow the free sight of the nest and free entrance of a hen through this end of the nest-box, and thus onto the tilting floor. When the hen ries the arm I in a vertical position, supporting on its end the lid H. The arm I forms part of the tilting iloor and revolves with this floor when it is tilted down by the weight of the hen. This movement 'of the arm I releases the lid l-I and it falls, meeting the uptilted edge of the tilting floor, holding it in its tilted position in which the hen leaves it when she passes to the adjacent nest. The position now given to the tilted floor J and the falling lid H completely close the nestbox at this end to the view or entrance of another hen, and also forbid the hen on the nest to retrace her steps.

The nest in which the hen lays is adjacent to the tilting iioor and has in one side of the nest-box a small door K forinserting the hand to remove the eggand clean the nest. On leaving the nest the hen steps on theinclined board E, which has one end hinged to the end of the nest and near the bottom of the nestbox, andthe other end is held up near the top of the nest-box by the spring N. It is prevented from touching the top of the nestbox by the small block P and the strip-board O, with circular opening on its bottom to protect the hen from being caught by the neck in case she started over the board and then retreated. This board stands at an angle of about forty or fty degrees with top or bottom of the nest-box. This inclined board E is solid and ribbed by the strips Q to make easy the ascent of the hen. When the hen steps on this board E, her weight overcomes the strength of the spring N, which holds the board E in its inclined position, and it turns on its hinges to a horizontal position, thus opening the exit from the nest, and the hen passes into the Wired inclosure at the end of the nest-box S X S T and the board E springs back to its original position and forbids the return of the hen to the nest. The hen is thus confined in this wired compartment of the nest-box and the identity of the hen and the egg made certain before her release through the wire door T at the end of the nest-box at the convenience of her keeper, after which the falling lid and tilting tloor can be set for the use of another hen.

The use of this improved nest-box or several of them in a pen containing any number IOO of hens will identify the hens passing through the nest-boxes and identify the eggs laid by them.

The above being a detailed description of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A nest-box for liens, in combination With a tilting floor at its entrance having an upright arm, a falling lid hinged at the top of the entrance to the nest-box and supported in a raised position by said upright arm, said lid being adapted to close the entrance to the nest-box when the supporting-arm is removed,

i a coop adjacent to the nest-box, and a tilting floor between the nest-box and the coop, hinged at its lower end and adapted to be tilted by the Weight of the hen and to close after the hen has passed from the nest-box to the coop, substantially as described.

2. In a nest-box for hens, a tilting Hoor pivoted` near its middle and situated at the entrance to the nest-box, with an upright arm erected thereon adapted to support a falling lid When the tilting floor is in a horizontal position and to release the lid when the floor is tilted, in combination with a falling lid hinged at the top of the nest-box, substantially as set forth.

3. In a nest-box for hens a tilting iloor with an upright arm thereon adapted to support a falling lid, in combination With stationary blocks to control the amount of movement of the tilting floor, and a falling lid hinged at the top of the nest-box, substantially as set forth.

VALLACE` VVILLETT. Vitnesses:

DANIEL J. FERRY, WM. A. Ronin?, Jr. 

